Kissimmee travels west to meet Cavalry
April 27, 2005 - National Indoor Football League (NIFL)
Kissimmee Kreatures News Release
Kissimmee, FL- Before 'Fright Night In The Den,' Kissimmee head coach Marquette Smith hopes to put some fear into his next two road opponents.
Next up Friday night is the Kreatures' first extended road trip to the West. They'll fly into Denver, take Kreature-mobiles to Casper, Wyoming, and put fear into the Calvary.
"I feel comfortable going into this one," said Smith, who said he will not get on a horse on this trip. "I think our offense will be better."
The best part of this trip is the fact that the by-week has provided the Kreatures (2-4) time to heal. Banged up after the first couple of games, Smith has had to go with backup quarterback Brock Jones after starter Rob Harding was sidelined for two games with badly bruised ribs.
Harding, the team's leader, will be back, not only for Wyoming, but for the game on Sunday (4 p.m.) May 8, at Lakeland against the ThunderBolts. Kissimmee final heads home on Friday, May 13, against the Fayetteville Guard.
This week against Wyoming (3-1) will debut the play of Lorenzo Guess, a strong safety, who was a three-year starter at Michigan State University. Guess is 6-3, 215, and has a lot of experience.
"The one thing about him over everything else is toughness and hitting ability," said Smith. "This definitely upgrades our tackling. We've always been in a position to make the plays but weren't hitting hard. He's a hitter."
Smith expects leadership as well from the 27 year-old Guess, who played last in 2003 with the LaCrosse Night Train.
Has the bye week hurt or helped the Kreatures? "I think it's how you look at it," said Smith. "I think my guys needed the week. We were beat up pretty good. However, after a big win, like the one over Miami, you don't want to lose momentum."
Smith is going to take only 18 players on the trip. However, everyone will contribute and wide receiver James Panui will also handle the kicking as he did when he nailed the game-winning field goal against Miami.
Harding will be the only quarterback, but the backup will be Guess. "He was a nationally rated quarterback out of high school," said Smith. "He is such a good athlete, that the colleges wanted to play him at other positions."
In assessing Wyoming, he said the Calvary is well balanced offensively. "They could be in a lot of ways similar to us but they establish the run first," he added. "They have consistent runners."
Whatever Smith does, he's ready for a long road trip," It develops character," he said.
National Indoor Football League Stories from April 27, 2005
- Rage look to 'Capitol'-ize on first place in standings - RiverCity Rage
- Kissimmee travels west to meet Cavalry - Kissimmee Kreatures
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